2025-04-16 Personal Lenten Retreat

Our April General Meeting was a very special one. We came together as a community for a personal Lenten retreat. Mallory Miller, a fellow St. Anne’s Member and Past-President kicked the morning off with a beautiful reflection on Jesus’s crucifixion and the symbolism of his outstretched arms on the cross. She provided reflection questions that guided our personal prayer time. These are included below for you to enjoy. Then, we spent time praying in the form of Visio Divina with a stunning piece of art lent to us by Natalie Haydel, a well-known catholic artist from Louisiana. A link to her artwork is included below as well. Our morning concluded with praise & worship, beautifully led by Leslie Ann Marbach and Tommy Pesek. Lifting up our hearts and souls together in song was such a special way to come together as a group.  This meeting was a gift and we are so grateful to be able to share it with you here on the podcast! I hope you enjoy!

St. Anne, pray for us!

• Image referenced in Mallory's talk https://www.thehistoryofart.org/diego-velazquez/christ-crucified/
• Reflection questions:
  • Do I really believe that holiness is something for me, not just for those Saints I read about, or for people more perfect than me?
  • In what ways do I struggle with having open arms of love to my husband and children?
  • What sacrifices required of marriage and motherhood do I struggle with the most? How can I better orient my view of those sacrifices so that God can use them for my growth and holiness?
  • Am I a person of hope? What am I doing in my marriage and motherhood to offer hope to the world?

Vision Divina artwork provided by Catholic artist, Natalie Haydel. Everlasting Love – Colors by Natalie